BRAF inhibitors amplify the pro-apoptotic activity of MEK inhibitors by inducing ER stress in NRAS-mutant melanoma

Purpose: <p>NRAS mutations in malignant melanoma are associated with aggressive disease requiring rapid antitumor intervention, but there is no approved targeted therapy for this subset of patients. In clinical trials, the MEK inhibitor (MEKi) binimetinib displayed modest antitumor activity, making combinations a requisite. In a previous study, the BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) vemurafenib was shown to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress that together with inhibition of the RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) pathway amplified its pro-apoptotic activity in BRAF-mutant melanoma. The present study investigated whether this effect might extent to NRAS-mutant melanoma, in which MAPK activation would be expected.</p> <br /><br />Experimental Design and results: <p>BRAFi increased pERK, but also significantly increased growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by the MEKi in monolayer, spheroids, organotypic and patient-derived tissue slice cultures of NRAS-mutant melanoma. BRAFi such as encorafenib induced an ER stress response via the PERK pathway, as detected by phosphorylation of eIF2α and upregulation of the ER stress-related factors ATF4, CHOP and NUPR1 and the pro-apoptotic protein PUMA. MEKi such as binimetinib induced the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein BIM and activation of the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis, the latter of which was enhanced by combination with encorafenib. The increased apoptotic rates caused by the combination treatment were significantly reduced through siRNA knockdown of ATF4 and BIM, confirming its critical roles in this process.</p> <br /><br />Conclusions: <p>The data presented herein encourage further advanced in vivo and clinical studies to evaluate MEKi in combination with ER stress inducing BRAFi as a strategy to treat rapidly progressing NRAS-mutant melanoma.

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